http://www.ket.org/civilwar/aamerican.html
Jane Giles
Jane Giles was a slave belonging to Margaret Preston of Lexington. While on a trip to New York, Jane ran away. Later she wrote to her former mistress to explain why. Another letter tells us that life as a free African American during these times was not comfortable. These letters were not written during the Civil War, but six years before.
Jane Giles (New York) to Margaret Wickliffe Preston
(Washington D.C.), February 8th 1854
Mrs William Preston
Madam. I take this opportunity to wright you these few lines to inform you that I am well at this time and I hope you are the same. Dear madam I suppose you wonder why that I left you. Well I will tell you the Reason one Reason was because you Parted me and my husband as tho we had no feeling and the Next Reason was because you accused me of stealing Money and I was not guilty of it but because I am collard You suppose that I have not got any feelings I have feelings thank god as well as you and I suppose you feel the Loss of me as much as I do the loss of you. I worked for you when I was with you and dear madam I am working for my Self and let me inform you that I Loved my husband as well as you do yours if I never see him again in this world but I am in hopes to meet him in Haven
I suppose you will call this impedance But I do not I have nothing Against Mr. Preston he treated me well he would not have sent my husband away had it not been for you and I would have been yet with you. But Never mind Every body must have trouble
I Remain Yours
Jane Giles (Box 49)
Susan Preston Christie to Margaret WickliProxy-Connection: keep-alive Cache-Control: max-age=0 e Preston
(Washington DC), January 15, 1855
... I heard yesterday of Jane Elder - Julia Davidson saw Mildred Peay who married a New York merchant, says Jane comes to see her very often, & told her that, she had been over persuaded by a waiter to leave you - that the hour after she left she escaped (from the house in a back street) and tried to find your hotel & would have gone back, but could not find her way that she got a free man to write to you twice telling you how sorry she was & begging you to forgive her ("tho she says it was most too much to ask") and asking you for Gods sake to let her go back to Carry [M.W. Preston's second child]. Mildred says she speaks of William [M.W.Preston's husband] you & the children, and that when she talked of how Bunny [M.W.Preston's son, then age 5] would miss her, that her tenderness for him & anguish at leaving him was so great that she Mildred cried herself. Mrs Fennell says that since her first interview Poor Jane has lost her health, and is in the bitterest poverty - that she did not complain of you not allowing her to return & said she had been so ungrateful she "was 'at'stonished" I suppose the insolent letter you received was not dictated by her, but probably originated with the writer.... (Box 74)
Jane Giles
Jane Giles was a slave belonging to Margaret Preston of Lexington. While on a trip to New York, Jane ran away. Later she wrote to her former mistress to explain why. Another letter tells us that life as a free African American during these times was not comfortable. These letters were not written during the Civil War, but six years before.
Jane Giles (New York) to Margaret Wickliffe Preston
(Washington D.C.), February 8th 1854
Mrs William Preston
Madam. I take this opportunity to wright you these few lines to inform you that I am well at this time and I hope you are the same. Dear madam I suppose you wonder why that I left you. Well I will tell you the Reason one Reason was because you Parted me and my husband as tho we had no feeling and the Next Reason was because you accused me of stealing Money and I was not guilty of it but because I am collard You suppose that I have not got any feelings I have feelings thank god as well as you and I suppose you feel the Loss of me as much as I do the loss of you. I worked for you when I was with you and dear madam I am working for my Self and let me inform you that I Loved my husband as well as you do yours if I never see him again in this world but I am in hopes to meet him in Haven
I suppose you will call this impedance But I do not I have nothing Against Mr. Preston he treated me well he would not have sent my husband away had it not been for you and I would have been yet with you. But Never mind Every body must have trouble
I Remain Yours
Jane Giles (Box 49)
Susan Preston Christie to Margaret WickliProxy-Connection: keep-alive Cache-Control: max-age=0 e Preston
(Washington DC), January 15, 1855
... I heard yesterday of Jane Elder - Julia Davidson saw Mildred Peay who married a New York merchant, says Jane comes to see her very often, & told her that, she had been over persuaded by a waiter to leave you - that the hour after she left she escaped (from the house in a back street) and tried to find your hotel & would have gone back, but could not find her way that she got a free man to write to you twice telling you how sorry she was & begging you to forgive her ("tho she says it was most too much to ask") and asking you for Gods sake to let her go back to Carry [M.W. Preston's second child]. Mildred says she speaks of William [M.W.Preston's husband] you & the children, and that when she talked of how Bunny [M.W.Preston's son, then age 5] would miss her, that her tenderness for him & anguish at leaving him was so great that she Mildred cried herself. Mrs Fennell says that since her first interview Poor Jane has lost her health, and is in the bitterest poverty - that she did not complain of you not allowing her to return & said she had been so ungrateful she "was 'at'stonished" I suppose the insolent letter you received was not dictated by her, but probably originated with the writer.... (Box 74)
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